[Capeside - Gretchen is coming out of a store and Dawson approaches her.]Gretchen: Hey!Dawson: I was just thinkin' about you. Hence my ear-to-ear grin.Gretchen: I didn't get that job in Boston.Dawson: What? What happened?Gretchen: The woman from the magazine-- she just paged me, and I called her back. She said that she loved me and that I was perfect for it, but that I didn't have a college degree or the necessary experience.Dawson: Oh, god, that sucks. I'm sorry.Gretchen: I really thought I had it. I don't know what I'm gonna do.Dawson: If you want to skip this whole prom thing, I totally understand.Gretchen: No. No, Dawson, come on. This is--this is your milestone, not mine. And you deserve to have it be a wonderful and memorable experience. And that's what it's gonna be.Dawson: Are you sure?Gretchen: Yes. Yes, it's fine. It's more than fine. It's gonna kick ass. I promise.

Her face looked so sincere at those words. Little did Dawson, or even Gretchen, know that the senior prom would kick anything but ass. Dawson smiled slightly at Gretchen's promise. "To be honest I'm kind of excited for this." He took her hand and proceeded to walk down the street.

"Yeah?" She questioned, trying to be as happy as possible. Her hand tightened around his, the pressure of his fingers in between her own was comforting.

Dawson felt her grip tighten and he sighed. "Hey I'm sorry...you don't have to pretend to be happy."

"Dawson." Gretchen said sternly, stopping and looking him in the eyes. "There is no way I'm going to let my bad mood ruin your senior prom. I'll be okay. As long as you stick beside me." Her eyes widened and lifted slightly.

"That, I can do." He said and kissed her nose. "You don't have to fake anything with me though, ever. I love you..." Gretchen's eyes lit up. "and..." His face fell in confusion, a small laugh escaped his mouth. "And I forgot what I was going to say after that. The I love you just sort of made anything else I had planned to say disappear from my mind."

Gretchen laughed. "That's perfectly okay, because nothing else matters." She leaned into him and kissed him on the mouth. They held their kiss for a few moments and broke away with the sound of an airtight seal breaking in their ears. "And I love you too."

Dawson smiled at her. "That sounds so good to hear."

"Why? Were you doubting me, Dawson Leery?" Her eyebrows rose on her forehead.

He shook his head. "No not at all. I just love the way that sounds coming from your lips."

"And I...I love the feeling of your lips on mine." Gretchen took a piece of his shirt into her hand and pulled Dawson down to her for a kiss. It began softly with Dawson's hand lying on her cheek. Their lips pressed together slowly, apart for a second, and then together again. They couldn't help intensifying their encounter though. His arms moved around her waist and hers up into his sandy blonde hair. Again the sound of an airtight seal breaking was heard as they ended their kiss.

Dawson looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Wow." He breathed out. "I hope that's just a preview of later." He suggested.

A sideways smile curled on Gretchen's lips. "It very well may be." She kissed his cheek, but her lips were closer to his mouth than actually on his cheek. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah..." He grinned and watched Gretchen bend down to put her dress in her car, and then get into her car and drive away. Dawson grinned again and walked back down the street with a lighter, happier stride.